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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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132 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Helicopter</strong><br />

(a)<br />

(b)<br />

(c)<br />

Fig. 4.13 Comparison <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> response <strong>of</strong> zero-<strong>of</strong>fset, <strong>of</strong>fset and hingeless rotors to a cyclic input. (a) In <strong>the</strong><br />

zero-<strong>of</strong>fset head, a moment is produced because <strong>the</strong> rotor thrust no longer passes through <strong>the</strong> CM. (b) In <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong>fset head, <strong>the</strong> blade root tension is not symmetrical and a couple is produced in addition to <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> (a).<br />

In a hingeless rotor head, (c) couples can be applied to <strong>the</strong> mast via <strong>the</strong> stiffness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blades.<br />

cyclic variation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blade pitch angle, and so <strong>the</strong> rotor will remain at this angle. <strong>The</strong><br />

tip path plane tries to stay parallel to <strong>the</strong> swashplate. This is known as following, and<br />

<strong>the</strong> speed with which <strong>the</strong> rotor follows <strong>the</strong> swashplate is known as <strong>the</strong> following rate.<br />

<strong>The</strong> following rate depends on <strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>the</strong> aerodynamic forces trying<br />

to tilt <strong>the</strong> disc and <strong>the</strong> inertial forces trying to oppose <strong>the</strong> tilt. <strong>The</strong> aeromechanical<br />

parameter that is used to quantify <strong>the</strong> phenomenon is called <strong>the</strong> Lock number.<br />

For a given rotor, <strong>the</strong> following rate is proportional to <strong>the</strong> RPM and <strong>the</strong> air density.<br />

Operation at high density-altitude will result in <strong>the</strong> cyclic response reducing, and<br />

changing in phase.<br />

In practice <strong>the</strong> following rate is generally high enough that <strong>the</strong> rotor will respond<br />

to a change <strong>of</strong> control axis within about a revolution. This does not mean that <strong>the</strong><br />

whole machine will respond in this way, which is just as well. <strong>The</strong>re is a considerable<br />

difference between <strong>the</strong> following rate and <strong>the</strong> response rate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> machine.

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